"Let's not do that. If we act too deliberately, it might be noticed by Xun You and Tian Yuanhao," Chen Xi shook his head and said.
"Too much of anything is harmful. Forget it. In that case, we'll leave this matter to Wenru. After all, if Wenru plans carefully, very few people can withstand his schemes. Let's see how Wenru handles this," Jia Xu sighed. He was also a bit excited; engaging with a master strategist always invigorated him mentally.
"Strategic planning indeed," Chen Xi mused, recalling some unpleasant events. "If Xun Wenruo (Xun You) had already been plotting against Chen Gongtai (Chen Gong), how would this situation be resolved? Oh, and speaking of which, the strategy Kongming (Zhuge Liang) gave to Cao Mengde (Cao Cao) might drive Cao Cao mad. It seemed feasible at the time, but now it's just an illusion, like flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water."
"I remember you mentioning Kongming's strategy. It seemed highly feasible, but in reality, it was undermining the foundation. Zhuge Kongming isn't that kind-hearted," Jia Xu shook his head. "The plan appeared flawless at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it's riddled with hidden dangers. Cao Mengde might not see it in the heat of the moment, but he would understand once he calmed down."
In fact, Jia Xu underestimated the situation. At that time, Cao Cao was already furious, and after reading the plan, he was even more enraged, tearing Zhuge Liang's letter to shreds. Although he remembered that Zhuge Liang's strategy was excellent, he didn't want to dwell on that painful memory, and thus never reexamined the strategy. As a result, in Cao Cao's mind, Zhuge Liang still remained a wise and extraordinary strategist.
"You can't fool people, I knew that. To truly deceive someone of that caliber, you'd need someone like you who's willing to take risks. Otherwise, a letter alone won't withstand scrutiny," Chen Xi sighed. That letter was meant for Zhuge Liang to showcase his intellect, to make Cao Cao regret his decisions. As long as it confused him momentarily, it was enough to demonstrate Zhuge Liang's wisdom.
"There's no helping it. Leaving aside Xun Wenruo, Xi Zhicai, and others, Cao Mengde himself is one of the most astute individuals in the world," Jia Xu sighed. "As for the scenario you mentioned, I've thought about it again and again. There's only one possibility."
Hearing this, Chen Xi also had a bitter expression. Considering Chen Gong's character, Lü Bu's personality, Xun Yu's caution, Cao Cao's ambition and appreciation for talent, and the composition of Cao's strategists, he deduced that there was indeed only one possibility.
"Did Zichuan (Chen Xi) figure it out too?" Jia Xu sighed. He had always been curious about Chen Xi—sometimes he seemed clueless, yet at other times, his intelligence was on par with anyone's.
"Xun Wenruo plans three steps ahead; how can you compete with that?" Chen Xi said helplessly. "If this is the only possibility, then there's nothing more to say. It's an inevitable situation, and we can only accept it."
"Hahaha, you say Xun Wenruo plans three steps ahead, but aren't you doing the same? Besides, so far, Xun Wenruo's strategies have always been forced by your maneuvers. You often forget to account for yourself, Zichuan. Xun Wenruo plans ahead just like you, but he's been pushed to the limit by you," Jia Xu laughed.
"It's not that simple. Whether we admit it or not, Cao's army is indeed growing stronger. Even though we defeated them soundly this time, they're still far more powerful than they were when they returned from Hulao Pass. Xun Wenruo has been strengthening the Cao army all along," Chen Xi shook his head. Xun Yu, whom Cao Cao referred to as "my own Zhang Liang," was indeed difficult to deal with. His presence was crucial for stabilizing Cao Cao's rear.
"However, after this defeat, it will be hard for Cao Mengde to rise again. Lü Fengxian (Lü Bu) won't give him another chance. After over three months of intense fighting, Cao Mengde can't hold out any longer. Once the summer harvest comes, Cao Mengde will be in trouble," Jia Xu said calmly.
"Cao Mengde listened to Zaozhi and Xun Wenruo, opening up barren land in Yanzhou for large-scale farming. Now, almost all of Yanzhou is in Lü Bu's hands, with 90% of the farming areas under his control. This is truly a case of being trapped by one's own actions," Jia Xu shook his head repeatedly, not wanting to comment further on Cao Cao's bad luck.
Chen Xi sighed deeply, not wanting to say more. If Cao Cao hadn't attacked Xuzhou, Yanzhou would have had a bountiful harvest this year, giving him the resources to launch a western campaign. But now, all his resources had been handed over to Lü Bu. If Lü Bu doesn't use them to overwhelm Cao Cao, it would be surprising. Chen Gongtai was indeed ruthless, and Xun Wenruo had nerves of steel.
"Originally, Xun Wenruo's plan should have been to use Lü Fengxian and Chen Gongtai to expose all the internal conflicts in Yanzhou. Then, whether he dealt with them himself or used Lü Bu's hand, Yanzhou would have become solid as a rock," Chen Xi sighed. "And Xun Wenruo was confident that Cao's army would lose this battle against us in Taishan, and that Cao Mengde would recognize his mistakes."
"He would realize the gap between us and then turn back to fight Lü Bu, who now holds most of Yanzhou. Lü Bu would surely lose," Chen Xi said with a hint of admiration.
"Cao Mengde is a man of great courage. Once he sees the gap between us, he will surely find a way to subdue Lü Bu. Moreover, with Chen Gongtai's personality, if Lü Bu seeks to save his own life, Cao Mengde, if he overlooks past grievances and acknowledges his mistakes, will likely accept his surrender. Lü Bu would then never rebel again," Jia Xu said with deep emotion.
"Abandoning Yanzhou was meant to purify his forces and force Cao Cao to return to Yanzhou. If he had succeeded in subduing Lü Bu, Xun Wenruo would have suggested marching into the central plains, and the Xiliang cavalry would have been incorporated into Cao's forces. But now, it's just an illusion, like flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water."
"It won't be that easy to fail," Jia Xu shook his head. "Although Cao Cao may be unable to withstand Lü Bu in the plains, if he's pushed to the limit and defends Chenliu and the strategic passes, Lü Bu will struggle to drive him out of Yanzhou."
Chen Xi didn't respond. Historically, when Cao Cao first fought Lü Bu, it went just as Jia Xu predicted—Cao Cao was no match for Lü Bu. However, when a locust plague hit, Lü Bu's summer harvest was completely lost, giving Cao Cao a chance to regroup and eventually defeat Lü Bu.
"My concern now is that if Xun Wenruo finds a way to gain control of the central plains and incorporate the Xiliang cavalry, it would be bad for us," Chen Xi sighed. Xun Wenruo planning three steps ahead was no joke. While he could imagine Xun Wenruo's reaction upon learning of Cao Cao's defeat, he also believed that this situation wouldn't leave Xun Wenruo without options. Historically, Cao Cao had faced even more dangerous situations.
"We'll take it one step at a time. Our priority is to strengthen ourselves; that's always more important than weakening others," Jia Xu said calmly. "As long as we maintain our current strength, we need not fear any strategy. Just breaking through with superior power is what you're best at."